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Satoshi Nakamoto: unmasked?
Oct. 09, 2024.
2 mins. read.
16 Interactions
A new documentary claims that Bitcoin software developer Peter Todd is Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin.
About the Writer
The new HBO documentary “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery” documents the journey of filmmaker Cullen Hoback to find out who created the first and most valuable cryptocurrency, CNN reported before the documentary went on air.
A Politico story reviewed previous speculations on the identity of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Now Hoback claims to have unmasked Satoshi.
Hoback is the creator of the series “Q: Into the Storm” about QAnon.
HBO describes the new documentary as “a thrilling, globe-spanning investigation, with Hoback immersing himself with key players, uncovering never-before-seen clues, and humorously unraveling Bitcoin’s meteoric rise.”
The documentary went on air on October 8 at 9pm EST.
And Satoshi is…
Peter Todd!
Todd is a Bitcoin software developer. He is well known to Bitcoin coders and hardcore enthusiasts, but not well known (so far) to the public at large.
Todd denied: “Cullen is grasping for straws here,” he told CNN after Hoback’s documentary went on air. “He is playing up a few coincidences into something much more.”
Does it matter?
In both CNN stories Hoback says that it’s important that Satoshi’s identity does not remain a secret to the public, especially if Satoshi’s cryptocurrency is still usable. The value of Satoshi’s crypto assets is, indeed, of tens of billions of dollars with the current exchange rate, and Satoshi (or whoever controls those assets, if anyone) is one of the richest persons in the world. “I think that understanding if that person still holds the keys (to their crypto wallet), what the ideas and intent of that person or people, really are, is important,” Hoback says.
But many crypto enthusiasts think that the identity of Satoshi doesn’t matter much. Satoshi may be, of may have been, this or that person, alive or dead. Or, Satoshi may be a group of people sharing a common identity, just like a football team that always acts as one even if its members come and go. I often think that this is probably the case. But more importantly, Satoshi is the spirit of our right to privacy and anonymity.
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3 Comments
3 thoughts on “Satoshi Nakamoto: unmasked?”
I don't think Peter Todd is Satoshi Nakamoto, despite what the documentary suggests. True Todd has been heavily involved in Bitcoin’s development, but his public role and age don’t match Satoshi’s disappearance and style. The claim is just one of those empty media sensation adding literary zero points to the question.
Honestly, knowing Satoshi’s identity doesn’t change much. In addition, Hoback's argument is completely against the nature of Bitcoin's spirit. Satoshi has all the rights to remain hidden despite holding billions of dollars: Hoback is thinking like uncle SAM? Bitcoin thrives on decentralization and community, not on one person’s name. Its future is already in motion!
P.S. And with Bitcoin's price spiking post this documentary, maybe Satoshi is now working in film production?
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The documentary was weak. No investigation into the origin, just trailing the circumstantial evidence and nothing definitive. Funny thing is, when Peter was confronted, he laughed and then later denied it. Like obviously he wouldn't outright say he is Nakamoto but there are little evidence to prove it.
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Yes, Hoback's case doesn't seem too strong. The identity of Satoshi is still a mystery, but so what? "Who is Satoshi?" is the wrong question to ask.
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